The Qephraï looked into the distance, hoping to find them with nothing more than a few glances.
"Hmm… is there really no one in this forest or what? I'm still having trouble getting used to this body, but finally having a physical vessel fills me with vigor. Alright… how am I supposed to make these human assholes come to me so I can kill them without tiring myself searching for them?"
Seeing that the people he was looking for were not within sight, he decided to check the corpses of the two men. One of them had a trumpet hanging around his neck. He grabbed it and used it, blowing into it four times. The sound echoed throughout the entire area. The Qephraï then threw the trumpet aside and waited at the top of the ivory tower. The men hidden in the forest would naturally come to the base of the tower. That was what he believed, and to him, his plan was perfect.
In the forest, however, the expedition group had just heard the four trumpet blasts. The leader of the group found it strange, his body language becoming cautious. Enette then asked what the problem was.
"Excuse me, but shouldn't we return to the tower? If those men triggered the alarm, it's better to go back."
"No. There's something strange. The protocol to signal danger is three blasts, not four. What we heard wasn't from the men of the ivory tower."
Abel looked at the two men before intervening.
"Excuse me, but the first trumpet sound was much weaker than the three that followed. Maybe they thought the sound wouldn't carry far enough and simply did it again."
"Yes, Abel is right. The first sound was much weaker. In any case, I'm going back. If those men signaled danger, I need to know what it is. If they're in trouble, it's my duty to help them. Abel, come with me. We're heading back."
Enette started moving toward the ivory tower, and Abel naturally followed, along with the rest of the unit. It was far too dangerous to stay behind alone after something so strange had just happened. After ten minutes of walking, they finally exited the forest, though they had not yet reached the tower, which stood on elevated ground.
Inside the tower, the Qephraï was lying on the floor next to the two corpses, staring at the sky. He raised his hand toward it, as if trying to touch it.
"Hmm… I'll have to get used to this strange body. Still, he should be grateful. I made him immortal. But I hate his hairstyle. It's too short and too light for my taste. Luckily, he's young. At least I didn't get the body of an old man. Oh… they're getting closer. They walk pretty loudly. Good for me. I'll jump on them and slaughter them. Hahahah."
The Qephraï discreetly peeked over the battlements, letting only the top of his head show. He waited impatiently until he spotted a group of five people. With a single glance, he could tell that Abel and Enette were the only ones who could pose any kind of threat to him though not nearly enough. He vaulted over the wall and threw himself down, landing directly in front of the unit.
The leader of the unit ordered the group to step back, leaving Abel and Enette at the front. With a trembling voice, the man spoke to the Qephraï.
"Wh… who are you? Where are the men guarding the tower?"
"Huh? The two men? They're still up there. Well… they're dead, but if you're looking for them."
Enette stepped forward, though even then there was still a large distance between him and the Qephraï.
"Why did you kill those people, and who the hell are you? You fucking Qephraï bastard, aren't you ashamed of using a body that isn't yours?"
"Haha, honestly, I don't give a shit. Anyway, I'm going to kill all of you to free my brethren trapped in this forest on this continent. You humans are really bad at isolating Sylphae trees, even though you're not that weak from what I remember. Still, for me, this is excellent news. But tell me… how did you know I was a Qephraï, human?"
"It's simple. I can read your thoughts, and you exposed yourself. If you're here to kill us, then good. I can finally have some fun today. But if I kill you, I suppose I won't gain your power."
"No, unfortunately you won't. But be glad if you kill me, I'll disappear completely. There are no rules in this fight. I suppose the child with you will join as well?"
"Of course. He'll stay in the back, but this won't be easy for you. Enough talking. I'll give you my rank so you can give me yours. I am Enette Yushitachu, Centurion of the Silver Needle troop. Beside me is Abel Verdalys, vanguard of the same troop. And you?"
"Hm. I don't like introductions, but fine. Even if I told you my name, you wouldn't be able to understand it. I was born in Tartarus itself."
«Huh? It's only a Tartarus rank. This fight will be easy. I could even let Enette handle him alone.»
Enette, filled with overwhelming confidence after the Qephraï's declaration, rushed forward and launched himself at him. However, the very first strike was dodged far too easily by the Qephraï. Enette continued his assault, throwing simple horizontal blows, but every single strike was effortlessly evaded.
Breathing heavily, Enette stopped and stared at the Qephraï, who showed no intention of counterattacking.
"How can a Qephraï this weak dodge my attacks so easily? Is that your power? Can you predict my moves or something like that?"
"No. I haven't even used my power since the beginning. Your attacks are just slow and predictable, so I allow myself to dodge. You don't seem completely useless, so I didn't bother retaliating. But in about thirty seconds, I'll start, because this is getting annoying and…"
The Qephraï was interrupted by the leader of the unit.
"Enette, listen carefully. When a Qephraï possesses a physical vessel, their level changes completely. Their current strength becomes equivalent to that of an Etrangler."
The Qephraï instantly lunged at the man, driving his fist into his stomach and piercing straight through him. He then turned to the two men beside him and spoke calmly.
"Do you realize this simple human interrupted me? If it had been you, Enette, I could understand it you can at least stand against me. But him? Pff… what a joke."
Enette stared at the Qephraï, his confidence completely shattered. Sweat began to form on his forehead.
«Damn… he… he has the same level as that Qephraï from that night. What am I supposed to do? I can't handle him, and this time we have to kill him, not just pierce his heart. He just killed the leader of this unit. I didn't even see him move. This is insane. For over a year now, every battle has been completely absurd. Damn it… I'll grab Abel and we'll run. I'll leave the other two here. Too bad.»
The Qephraï charged at Enette in the same manner and delivered a nearly fatal blow. Enette spat blood from his mouth, unable to breathe. His vision blurred as he saw the Qephraï approaching Abel.
"And you, kid. Did you see your friend? He's pathetic. One hit and he's on his knees, coughing up blood. You may be strong, but you're still so weak that I can kill you in a single strike. So… do you want me to kill him first, or you?"
Abel was terrified. He realized that no human was as frightening as a Qephraï, regardless of rank. The Qephraï was right no matter what, they would always be stronger than humans on paper. That was what made them terrifying. They did not fear humans.
"I don't know. Do whatever you want."
"Whatever I want? Hm… you're right. I'll keep both of you alive and offer you to my brethren. Good. I'll grab your friend, and we'll head back to the forest."
The Qephraï walked toward Enette, who still couldn't move. The closer he got, the more Enette's fear grew. In an instant, Enette had gone from confidence to pure terror.
A piercing, deafening scream suddenly echoed not just across the region or the continent, but throughout the entire world. To Abel and the others, it sounded like nothing more than a loud scream. But the Qephraï froze. He dropped to his knees and began screaming, clutching his ears, but nothing worked.
One of the unit members shouted at Abel.
"Hurry! Kill him! God has given us a chance to live! Kill him now, kill him!"
Abel had no choice. He had to kill him before the scream stopped. He drew his sword and approached slowly, afraid that if he got too close and the scream ended, the Qephraï would kill him. Standing behind him, blade in hand, Abel stabbed him once… twice… three times. Still, the Qephraï refused to die.
Abel then placed his blade against the side of the Qephraï's neck, determined to decapitate him to be sure. He swung hard but his blade shattered. He stared at the broken sword, powerless, as the scream faded and the Qephraï regained control.
"You little bastard… you took advantage of my weakness to stab me like a coward. Do you realize how much that hurts? I'll do the same to you. You weakened me, but not enough to stop me from killing you. You're going to suffer…"
The Qephraï's head fell to the ground.
He was still alive, his gaze locking onto Enette. It was Enette who had decapitated him. Completely drained, Enette collapsed to his knees. Once again, he would have to return to the hospital just like the first time they had fought a Qephraï.
At the hospital, the doctors explained that several of Enette's organs had been damaged by the blow and that he was currently in a coma. Abel and the others waited in the room, hoping it wouldn't last long.
"Tell me… that scream that saved our lives what exactly was it? Why was the Qephraï affected like that by a simple scream?"
The man looked at Abel before explaining everything.
"The scream that saved us came from the Zaqqum Tree. It's an extremely rare tree there is only one in the entire world. It stands on the continent of Heilige, the no man's land, the cursed continent… the worst continent in existence. It lies directly north of ours. The tree is gigantic, touching the sky, with a circumference spanning several kilometers. The screams don't come from the tree itself, but from the heads hanging from it like fruit. Hundreds of thousands of heads are attached to that tree. Their screams occur randomly. We hadn't heard them in decades. For it to happen today… it's a miracle from God."
"Why are Qephraï so affected by that scream? And if it bothers them so much, why don't they destroy the tree or cut it down?"
"It's simple. The tree is incredibly resistant. Many of them could destroy it, but they don't want to. A myth says that one day, this tree will allow the Qephraï to descend onto Earth not as shadows, but in their true forms. For now, that's not what matters. Sometimes, that tree helps us."
"Yes… today it helped us a lot. But Enette wasn't as lucky. If he doesn't wake up, that would really suck. At least he's immortal. No matter how long he stays in a coma, it won't truly matter for him."
Abel and the man sat in the chairs. The other man had returned to the battlefield to bury the three bodies.
After waiting five days for Enette to wake up, Abel had to return to Auréline to see his mother and continue being useful to the troop. He promised himself he would visit Enette once a week, unless he was on a mission with his next unit.
Abel returned to Auréline, while Enette remained in the hospital unable to move, unable to think, unable even to know that he was still alive.